BASEBALL

BASEBALL; In Another Chance on the Main Stage in the Bronx, Piazza Thrives Again

By JACK CURRY

Published: June 10, 2000

Mike Piazza reached across, clubbed Roger Clemens's flat slider, and 55,822 pairs of eyes instantly stared at the black center field bleachers at Yankee Stadium. Clemens did not bother to look. He already knew where Piazza's shot would land.

Piazza took a step out of the batter's box and put his bat down as softly as if putting an infant to bed, while continuing to stare straight ahead. The ball soared higher and deeper, Bernie Williams made a wild and futile leap into the fence, and the ball disappeared for a grand slam.

It was only the third inning, but Piazza's 425-foot blast pushed the Mets ahead of the Yankees by four runs and acted like a sleeping pill to the Yankees and their fans. It was awfully quiet in the Bronx after Piazza's 11th career grand slam, and the Yankees never seriously challenged Al Leiter in falling, 12-2.

''He's a very frightening guy to have on the other side,'' Yankees Manager Joe Torre said. ''You make a mistake and it's not a single or a double, it's a towering homer. It could be anywhere.''

For Piazza, Yankee Stadium was the perfect stage. With a grand slam, two singles and two runs scored, it was he -- not Clemens, not Derek Jeter, not Williams -- who owned the evening.

''I think it's awesome,'' Piazza said. ''For me, I hope I get the opportunity in a World Series to play here. This is definitely the next best thing.''

Piazza, who grew up near Philadelphia, said he used to watch the Yankees play on WPIX -- ''Channel 11, wasn't it?'' he asked -- and he was enamored of playing at the Stadium before the grand slam. Actually, before the game even started.

''Just getting your name over the P.A. was a cool shot of adrenaline,'' he said. ''I forgot the gentleman's name, but it was cool.''

As the fans shouted dueling chants of ''Let's Go Yankees'' and ''Let's Go Mets'' in the first inning, Clemens was already in a tight spot. With runners on first and third and one out, Piazza had the chance to put Clemens in a hole. But Clemens pumped five straight fastballs, finally striking out Piazza on a 2-2 pitch.

But danger returned for Clemens in the third. The Mets loaded the bases on Jorge Posada's throwing error and two walks, and Piazza -- who came into the game with five hits and two homers in nine at-bats against Clemens -- was up again.

Clemens threw another fastball to Piazza. Strike one. Then Clemens tried his first slider, and Piazza, who said he was not thinking fastball or breaking pitch, destroyed it. Torre was amazed that Piazza actually got to watch a homer that he hit to center.

There were six innings left, but the Yankees looked dead.

''The first inning, there was energy on both sides,'' Mets Manager Bobby Valentine said. ''Mike kind of settled it down a bit.''

Piazza smiled when asked if his grand slam had deflated the crowd, saying that he kept hearing the same ''negative insults'' as he had before he went deep.

Yankees fans had already been angry at Piazza for more than a year. He stroked a three-run homer off Clemens to carry the Mets past the Yankees, 5-2, last July 9 and hit a two-run homer off him as the Mets stifled the Yankees, 7-2, a month earlier to end an eight-game losing streak.

One of the reasons the Mets can even dream of dethroning the Yankees this season is because they were shrewd enough to acquire Piazza from Florida two years ago and benevolent enough to wave $91 million in his face for seven years. Torre said that was when the Mets showed ''they were going to try and win.''

Last night, because of Piazza, they did.

''I know what my role is on this club,'' Piazza said. ''There are situations where I have to give us a lift. I accept that. I don't want to pass it to anyone else.''